Generally speaking, image taking processes realized by medical image diagnostic apparatuses are performed according to image taking conditions that are set in advance. For example, when a operator of a medical image diagnostic apparatus makes a plan to take images, he/she edits image taking conditions while looking at an image taking condition editing screen (hereinafter, “editing screen”) that is displayed on a display unit of the medical image diagnostic apparatus. As a result, the image taking conditions that have been edited are configured into the medical image diagnostic apparatus so that the medical image diagnostic apparatus performs an image taking process according to the image taking conditions that have been configured therein. JP-A No. 2006-255189 (KOKAI) discloses an editing screen for an image taking process performed by a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) apparatus.
With regard to image taking processes performed by medical image diagnostic apparatuses, there are some situations where a plurality of image taking processes are contained in the same series. In this situation, the term “series” refers to a unit of image taking process that is performed according to a certain set of image taking conditions. Typically, “one series” corresponds to “one image taking process”; however, in some situations, a plurality of image taking processes may be contained in the same series (e.g., a main image taking process and a preliminary image taking process may be contained in one series). In this situation, the “main image taking process” refers to an image taking process that is performed so as to obtain one or more images for the main purpose (e.g., an image taking process that is performed so as to obtain one or more images used for making a diagnosis). In contrast, the “preliminary image taking process” refers to an image taking process that is performed prior to the main image taking process, for the purpose of determining parameters included in the image taking conditions for the main image taking process.
In that situation, the operator edits the image taking conditions while, for example, alternately switching the displays between an editing screen for the main image taking process and an editing screen for the preliminary image taking process. For example, while looking at the editing screen for the main image taking process, the operator performs an operation (e.g., presses a button that is displayed in a position next to a parameter related to the preliminary image taking process) to activate the editing screen for the preliminary image taking process. As a result, the editing screen for the preliminary image taking process is displayed on the display unit, replacing the editing screen for the main image taking process. When the operator needs to edit the image taking conditions for the main image taking process again, the operator further performs another operation (e.g., selects the corresponding image taking process from a menu) to activate the editing screen for the main image taking process.
The conventional technique described above, however, has a problem where there is a large burden on the operator. In other words, as explained above, in the case where a plurality of image taking processes are contained in the same series, the operator needs to, for example, edit the image taking conditions while switching between the editing screen for the main image taking process and the editing screen for the preliminary image taking process. Thus, the operations are complicated and cumbersome.
Further, the problem described above applies not only to the situation where a plurality of image taking processes are contained in the same series, but also to a situation where a plurality of series have relevance to one another. For example, to take an image of the entire body of an examined subject, because image taking processes performed by MRI apparatuses have a restriction related to uniformity of the magnetic fields, the image taking process may be, for example, divided into a plurality of series such as a series for the chest, a series for the abdomen, and a series for the lower abdomen. In that situation, the plurality of series may have relevance to one another requiring that the same image taking conditions should be set for the series or the plurality of series may have relevance to one another requiring that, intentionally, different image taking conditions should be set for the series. For this reason, the operator needs to edit the image taking conditions while switching the displays between the editing screens for the different series. The operations in this situation are also complicated and cumbersome.